Rachel Nichols Says Only Duke, Storm Shadow & Snake Eyes Coming Back For ‘G.I. Joe 2’

So Stephen Sommers left (or was kicked off), somewhat bizarrely, “Step Up” director Jon Chu entered and the only question that remained was just who from “G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra” would be returning for sequel. Turns out, very few people.

Actress Rachel Nichols, who played Shana ‘Scarlett’ O’Hara in the original, hit Twitter last night to drop this bit of news: “GI JOE 2 News Flash: The only characters to return in the JON CHU directed sequel will be SNAKE EYES, STORM SHADOW, and DUKE…” Looks like Marlon Wayans and Nichols herself are among those out of a job this summer (the actress confirmed she was not involved in a followup tweet) and Lee Byung-hun (who joined the film back in January), Ray Park and Channing Tatum (who was already widely expected to reprise his role) are back. But the big question that remains is if the cliffhanger left open for Joseph Gordon-Levitt‘s character to return will be continued.

Our guess? Probably not gonna happen. Though word has since gone quiet, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is likely to take a prominent role in Christopher Nolan‘s “The Dark Knight Rises” and considering “G.I. Joe 2” is gearing up to shoot this summer as well with a 2012 release in mind, it will be a clash of schedules. Perhaps a cameo to address what happens to him, but we doubt it will be much more than that.

Guess we’ll have to see what “Zombieland” screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick have come up with for the film and who from the crew of baddies will return. But considering the direction things on the project have taken so far — with a turn for cheaper talent and probably operating on a much smaller budget than the first film — we’d wager we’ll be seeing a whole new crop of faces. [via /Film]